Promoted bismuth oxide-molybdenum oxide oxidation catalyst



April 26, 1966 L CALLAHAN ETAL 3,248,340

PROMOTED BISMUTH OXIDE-MOLYBDENUM OXIDE OXIDATION CATALYST TEMPERATURE,F

2 TEMPERATURE` E April 26, 1966 J. cALLAHAN ETAL 3,248,340

PROMOTED BISMUTH OXIDE-MOLYBDENUM OXIDE OXIDATION CATALYST 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed April 25, 1962 B-Mn-B-Promoed Ccnolys of ExompleIlI O O O O O O O 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 TEMPERATURE, "E

O O O O O O O 8 6 5 4 3 2 WT. PERCENT BI ON 0.5% B-CONTAINING CATALYST April 26, 1966 J. L.. CALLAHAN ETAL 3,248,340

PROMOTED BISMUTH OXIDE-MOLYBDENUM OXIDE OXIDATION CATALYST 5 Sheets-Sheet 3 Filed April 25, 1962 WT. "/o B ON 5% Bl-CONTAINING CATALYST-A United States Patent O PROMUTED BISMUTH OXiDE-MOLYBDENUM QXIDE GXIDATION CATALYST James. Louis Callahan, Bedford, Berthold Gertisser,

Cleveland Heights, and Joseph J. Szabo, Chagrin Falls, (Ehio, assignors to 'Ihre Standard @il Company, Cleveland, tlhio, a corporation of Uhio Fiied Apr. 25, 1962, Ser. No. 190,038

7 Claims. (Cl. 252-432) This invention relates to an improved oxidation catalyst consist-ing essentially of oxides of the elements bismuth and molybdenum, and optionally, phosphorus, promoted by oxides of boron and bismuth, and to the catalytic oxidation of olefins to oxygenated hydrocarbons such as propylene to acrolein, and the catalytic oxidative dehydrogenation of oleins to dioleins such as butene-l to butadiene, and tertiary amylenes to isoprene, and to the oxidation of olen-ammonia mixtures to unsaturated nitriles such as propylene-ammonia to acrylonitrile using such catalysts.

The Callahan, Foreman and Veatch U.S. Patent No. 2,941,007 describes theoxidation of an olefin such as propylene and the various butenes with oxygen and a solid catalyst composed of the oxides of bismuth, molybdenum and silicon, and optionally, phosphorus. This catalyst selectively converts propylene to acrolein, isobutylene to methacrolein, aand -butylene to methyl vinyl ketone and to butadiene, etc. High yields are obtainable, although in the case of the butenes, careful control of reaction conditions may be required in order to 'direct the reaction in favor of either methyl vinyl ketone or butadiene, depending upon which of these alternative products is desired.

The Idol Patent No. 2,904,580, employs the same catalyst to convert propylene, ammonia and oxygen to acrylonitrile, at approximately atmospheric pressures and elevated temperatures. Excellent conversions, usually in the range of 40 to 80%, nitrogen basis, of useful products are obtainable.

1.-The catalyst In accordance with the instant invention, the catalytic activity of such bismuth oxide-molybdenum oxide catalysts is greatly enhanced or promoted by the combination therewith of a mixture of boron and additional bismuth in the form of their oxides, referred to hereinafter as promoters. The promoters in Iaccordance with the invention are best applied by impregnation or surface coating of `the catalyst, after its formation in accordance with the procedure described in Serial No, 851,919, the disclosure of which is hereby incorporated by reference. Further, in accordance With the invention, it has been determined that a portion of the supplemental bismuth oxide promoter can be replaced with manganese oxide, and that phosphorus oxide can also be present as a supplemental oxide.

The proportions of boron oxide and bismuth oxide, with or without phosphorus oxide and/or manganese oxide, are important in obtaining the optimum enhanced activity. The boron oxide concentration, calculated as boron, should be within the range from about 0.5 to

about 1% by weight; and the amount of bismuth oxide,

ICC

ployed, it can be used on a bismuth oxide equivalent Weight basis, but not more than 'about one-third of the promoter bismuth oxide, calculated as bismuth, can be replaced `by manganese oxide.

While the catalyst of this invention may be employed Without any support, it is desirable to combine it with a support. A preferred support is silica because the silica improves the catalytic activity of the catalyst. The silica may be present in any amount but it is preferred that the catalyst contain between about 25 to 75% by Weight of silica. Many other materials such as Alundum, silicon carbide, alumina-silica, alumina, titania and other chemically inert materials may be employed as a support which 'will withstand the conditions of the process.

The catalyst may comprise phosphorus, also present in the form of the oxide. Phosphorus will aect, to some extent, the catalytic properties of the composition, but the presence or absence of phosphorus has no appreciable effect on the physical properties of the catalyst. Thus, the composition can include from 0%, and preferably from a least 0.1%, up to about 5% by weight of phosphorus oxide, calculated as phosphorus.

The promoter is incorporated with the catalyst base by impregnation thereof, using an aqueous solution, dispersion, or suspension of a boron compound and of a bismuth compound, with or wit-hout a manganese compound, either the oxide, or a compound thermally decomposable in situ to the corresponding boron oxide, bismuth oxide, and manganese oxide, respectively, without formation of other deleterious metal oxide residue, for instance, ammonium phosphate, ammonium tetraboratc, ammonium permanganate, manganese nitrate, bismuth nitrate, boric acid, bismuth hydroxide, manganese hydroxide, bismuth phosphate, and bismuth borate. The phosphorus-containing compounds also add phosphorus to the catalyst. After impregnation with such solution, employed in a concentration and amount to provide the desired amount of bismuth and boron, and optionally, manganese, the catalyst base is dried, and then calcincd at a temperature above that at which the compounds applied are decomposed to the oxides. Temperatures in excess of 800 F. but below that at which the catalyst is deleteriously affected, usually not in excess of about 1050 F., can be used.

The basic catalyst composition comprisesv bismuth oxide and molybdenum oxide, the bismuth-to-molybdenurn ratio BizMo being controlled so that it is at all times above 1:3. There is no critical upper limit on the amount of bismuth, but in View of the relatively high cost of bismuth and the lack of an improved cataytic eiect when large amounts are used, generally the atomic ratio bismuth to molybdenum BitMo of about 3:1 is not exceeded. The nature of the chemical compounds which compose the basic catalyst is not known. The catalyst may be a mere mixture of bismuth and molybdenum oxides, with or without phosphorous oxide, but it seems more likely that the catalyst is a homogeneous micro mixture of loose chemical combinations of oxides of bismuth and molybdenum, with, optionally, phosphorous, and it is these combinations which appear to impart the desirable catalytic properties to this catalytic composition. The catalyst can be referred to as bismuth molybdate, or, when phosphorus is present, as bismuth phosphomolybdate, but this term is not to be construed as meaning that the catalyst is composed of these compounds.

The bismuth and boron, and optionally, manganese, compounds added thereto as promoters may or may not enter into the chemical composition of the catalyst. Bismuth added later with boron produces a different result from boron added to a catalyst composition containing more than the usual amount of bismuth, i.e., that stoichimetrically equivalent to the weight of added boron, and has a different function, since the enhanced catalytic efiect is not obtained when boron oxide is combined with a composition previously containing the same Element: Weight, percent Bismuth 29.84-78.08

Molybdenum 11.32-47.29 Oxygen 9.96-26-84 Phosphorus 0- 2.40

This same composition may be expressed in the form of the following empirical formula:

( 1) BiaPbMOlzOc where ais 4 to 36, b is 0 to 2, and c is Vzn'a-i-l/zm-b-i-l/zp-IZ and where n, m and p are the average valences of bismuth phosphorus and molybdenum, respectively, in the oxidation states in which they exist in the catalyst, as defined by the empirical formula above. Thus n may range from 2 to 3, m is about 5, and p may range from 4 to 6, which collectively make c range from 28 to 94.

When silica is used as the support, the empirical formula is (2) BiaPbMo12Oc'(SO2)1 to soo where a, b and c are as defined above.

When the silica is present as about 30 to 70 weight percent of the final composition, the empirical formula where a, b and c are as defined above.

To this are to be added bismuth oxide and boron oxides, as such or as formed in situ from other added bismuth and boron compounds, so that the empirical formula of the promoted catalyst in accordance with the invention corresponds to the following:

The values of a, b and c are in accordance with the definitions given above.

When the atomic ratio of lbismuth to molybdenum BizMo is about 3:4, the impirical formula is The values of b and c are as defined above.

When the silica is present as about 30 to 70 weight percent of the final composition, the empirical formula is where a, b and c are as defined above.

II-Oxiidaton of olefns to aldehydes and ketones, the reactants The reactants used in the oxidation to oxygenated compounds are an olefin or mixture thereof and oxygen.

By the term olefin as used herein and in the appended claims is meant the open-chain as well as cyclic olefins. Among the many olefinic compounds which may be utilized in accordance with the process of the invention, the following compounds are illustrative: propylene, butene-l, butene-2, isobutylene, pentene-l, pentene-2, 3,- methyl-butene-l, 2-methyl-butene-2, heXene-l, hexane-2, 4-rnethyl-pentene-1, 3,3-dimethyl-butene-1, 4-methylpentene-2, catene-1, cyclopentene, cyclohexene, 3-methylcyclohexene, etc. This invention is directed particularly to the oxidation of the lower alkenes (3 to 8 carbon atoms) but higher alkenes may also'be utilized with efficacy. These compounds `and their various homologs and analogs may be substituted in the nucleus and/or in the sustituents in various degrees by straight-chain alicyclic or hetero-cyclic radicals. The process of the invention is applicable to individual olefins las well as to mixtures of olefins and also to mixtures of olefins with the corresponding or other saturated organic compounds.

The process of this invention is particularly adapted to the conversion of propylene to acrolein, isobutylene to methacrolein, aor ,fi-butylene to methyl vinyl ketone, pentene-l or pentene-Z to ethyl vinyl ketone and/0r pentene-S-one-Z, Z-methyl-butene-Z to methyl isopropenyl ketone, cyclopentene to cyclopentenone-2, and the like.

Straight-chain a-olefins of three or more carbon atoms, when oxidized according to the process of the invention, tend to yield the same products as the corresponding -olefins. Thus, as stated above, a-butylene, as well as -butylene, yields methyl vinyl ketone; and pentene-l, like pentene-Z, yields ethyl vinyl ketone. It is believed that this results from isomerzation of the a-olefins to the ,B-olefins under the reaction conditions.

It is surprising that the vinyl type carbonylic products obtained by the process of this invention are not always those which would `be expected from the direct substitution of an oxygen atom for two hydrogen atoms in the allyl position, i.e., for two hydrogen atoms attached to a carbon atom separated from the double bond by an intervening carbon atom. For in the latter case butylene would form crotonaldehyde and not methyl vinyl ketone. Instead, the reaction appears to be initiated at the double bond and proceeds with the elimination of a hydrogen atom in the allyl position and a change in position of the double bond.

The olefins may be in admixture with other hydrocarbons, for example, a propylene-propane mixture may constitute the feed. It is an advantage of our process that the propane is not readily oxidized and passes through the reaction largely as an inert diluent. This makes it possible to use ordinary refinery streams without special preparation.

Process conditions The temperature at which this oxidation is conducted may v-ary considerably depending upon the catalyst, the particular olefin being oxidized and the correlated conditions of the rate of throughput or contact time and the ratio of olefin to oxygen. In general, when operating at pressures near atmospheric, i.e. -10 to 100 p.s.i.g. temperatures in the range of 500 to 1000 F. may be advantageously employed. However, the process may be conducted at other pressures, and in the case where super atmospheric pressures, eg., above p.s.i.g., are employed somewhat lower temperatures are feasible. In the case where this process is employed to convert propylene to acrolein, a temperature range of 750 to 850 F. has been found to be optimum at atmospheric pressure.

The apparent contact time employed in the process is not critical and it may be selected from a broad operable range which m-ay vary from 0.1 to 200'l seconds. The apparent contact time may be `defined as the length of time in seconds which the unit volume of gas measured under the conditions of reaction is in contact with the apparent unit volume of the catalyst. It may be calculated for example from the apparent volume of the catalyst bed, the average temperature and pressure of the reactor, and the ilow rates of the several .components of the reaction mixture. The optimum Contact time will, of course, vary depending upon the olefin being treated, but in the case of propylene the preferred apparent contact time is 1 to 15 seconds.

A molar ratio of oxygen to olefin between about 5:1 to 0.5 :1 generally gives the most satisfactory resutls. For the conversion of propylene to acrolein, a preferred ratio of oxygen to olen is about 1:1. The oxygen used in the process may be derived from any source: however, air appears to be the least expensive source of oxygen and it is preferred for that reason.

We have also discovered that the addition of water to the reaction mixture has a .marked beneficial iniiuen-ce o-n the course of the reaction in that it improves the conversion and the yield of the desired product. The manner in which water affects the reaction is not fully understood but the theory of this phenomenon is not deemed important in view of the experimental results we have'obtained. Accordingly, we prefer to include water in the reaction mixture. Generally, a ratio of olefin to water in the reaction mixture of 1:1 to 1:10 will give very satisfactory results and a ratio of 1:3 to 1:5 has been found to be optimum when converting propylene to acrolein. The water, of course, will be in the vapor phase during the reaction.

Inert diluents such as nitrogen, carbon dioxide, and saturated hydrocarbons such as ethane, propane, and butane and pentane may be present in the reaction mixture; however, no beneficial effect on the reaction has been observed in the presence of such diluents. Processes are not contemplated in which diluents are present which would react to form compounds other than those consisting of the elements carbon, hydrogen and oxygen.

In general, any apparatus of the type suitable for carrying out oxidation reactions in the vapor phase may be employed for the execution of the process. It may be operated continuously or intermittently and may be a fixed bed with a pelleted catalyst. We prefer, however, to employ a reactor containing a so-called liuidized bed of catalyst for the reason that the temperature of the reaction must be closely controlled. It has been determined that without such temperature control the oxidation will proceed to the formation of carbon dioxide and water at the expense ofthe desired product. A fluidized catalyst bed simplifies `the problem of temperature control since coils through which water or other heat transfer medium is circulated may be conveniently disposed in the bed to control the temperature.

As stated above, pressures other than atmospheric may be employed in this process but it is generally preferred to operate at or near atmospheric pressure since the reaction proceeds well at such pressures and the use of expensive high pressure equipment is avoided.

The reactor may be brought to the reaction temperature before or after the introduction of the vapors to be reacted. In large scale operation, it is preferred to carry out the process in a continuous manner and in this system the recirculation of unreacted oleiin and/or oxygen is contemplated. Periodic regeneration or reactivation of the catalyst is also contemplated. This may be accomplished, for example, by contacting the catalyst with air at an elevated temperature. y

The unsaturated carbonyl product or products may be isolated from the gases leaving the reaction zone by any appropriate means, the exact procedure in any given case being determined by ythe nature and quantity of the reaction products. For example, the excess gas may be scrubbed with cold water or an appropriate solvent to remove the carbonyl product. In the case where the products are recovered in this manner, the ultima-te recovery from the solvent may be by any suitable means such -as distillation. The efficiency of the scrubbing operation may be improved when water is employed as the scrubbing agent by adding a suitable wetting agent to the water. If desired, the scrubbing of the reaction gases may be preceded by a cold water quench of the gases which of itself will serve to separate a significant amount of the carbonyl products. Where molecular oxygen is employed as the oxidizing agent in this process, the resulting product mixture remaining after the removal of the carbonyl product may be treated to remove carbon dioxide with the remainder of the mixture comprising any reacted olefin and oxygen being recycled through the reactor. In the case where air is employed as the oxidizing agent in lieu of molecular oxygen, the residual product after separation of the carbonyl product may be scrubbed with a non-polar solvent, e.g., a hydrocarbon fraction, in order to recover unreacted olefin and in this case the remaining gases may be discarded. An inhibitor to prevent polymerization of the unsaturated products, as is well known in the art, may be added at any stage.

IIL-Oxidation 0f olejits t0 nl'irl'les, the reactants The reactants used are the same as in Il above, plus ammonia. Any of the oletins described can be used.

In its preferred aspect the process comprises contacting a mixture comprising propylene, ammonia and ox gen with the catalyst at an elevated temperature and at atmospheric or near atmospheric pressure.

Any source of oxygen may be employed in this process. For economic reasons, however, it is preferred that air be employed as the source of oxygen. From a purely technical viewpoint, relatively pure. molecular oxygen will give equivalent results. The molar ratio of oxygen to the olen in the feed to the reaction vessel should be in the range of 0.5 :1 to 3:1 and a ratio of about 1:1 to 2:1 is preferred.

The presence of the corresponding saturated hydrocarbons does not appear -to inuence the reaction to any appreciable degree, and these materials appear to act only as diluents. Consequently, the presence of the vcorresponding saturated hydrocarbons or other saturated -hydrocarbons in the feed to the reaction is contemplated within the scope of this invention. Likewise, other diluents such as nitrogen and the oxides of carbon may be present in the reaction mixture without deleterious effect.

Ammonia-olefin ratio The molar ratio of ammonia to olefin in the feed to the reaction may vary between about 0.05 :1 to 5:1. There is no real upper limit for the ammonia-olefin raio, but there is generally no point in exceeding the 5 :1 ratio. At ammonia-olefin ratios appreciably less than the stoichiometric ratio of 1:1, variou-s amounts of oxygenated derivatives ofthe olefin will be formed.

Significant amounts of unsaturated aldehyde or ketone as well as nitrile wiil be obtained at ammonia-olefin ratios substantially below 1:1, ie., in the range of 0.15:1 to 0.75 :1. Gutside the upper limit of this range only insignificant amounts of aldehyde or ketone will be produced, and only very small amounts of nitrile will be produced at ammonia-olefin ratios below the lower limit of this range. It is fortuitous that within the ammoniaolen range stated, maximum utilization of ammonia is obtained and this is highly desirable. It is generally possible to recycle the olefin to the process, whereas the unconverted ammonia may be recovered and recycled only with diiiiculty.

effect of water on the course of the reaction. We have found that the presence of water in the mixture fed to the reaction vessel improves the selectivity and yield of the reaction as far as the production of the nitrile is concerned. Improvements on the order of several hundred percent have been observed in the presence of water as compared to similar runs made in the absence of added water. Consequently, the presence of water has a marked beneficial effect on this reaction, but reactions not including water in the feed are not to be excluded from this invention.

In general, the molar ratio of water to olefin should be at least about 0.25t1. Ratios on the order of 1:1 are particularly desirable but higher ratios may be employed, i.e., up to about 10: 1. Because of the recovery problems involved, it is generally preferred to use only so much water as is necessary t0 obtain the desired improvement in yield. It is to be understood that water does not behave as an inert -diluent in the reaction mixture. This conclusion has been verified by employing other diluents in the reaction mixture, such as propane and nitrogen. No corresponding improvement in yield and selectivity is observed with such diluents. Although the exact manner in which the water affects the reaction is not understood, it is clear that the water does have a significant infiuence on the reaction.

One theory which has been postulated to explain the effect of water on the reaction involves the phenomena occurring at the surface of the catalyst. Water, because of its polarity, may assist in the desorption of the reaction products from the surface of the catalyst. According to another hypothesis, the water may change the nature of the catalyst at the catalyst surface by affecting the acidity of the catalyst. Notwithstanding the fact that either of these theories may be in error, the improved results occasioned by the use of water are evident and the theory by which these results are to be explained is therefore to be considered immaterial.

Process conditions The temperature at which the reaction is carried out may be any temperature in the range of from about 550 to about 1000 F. The preferred temperature range runs from about 800 to 950 F.

The pressure at which the reaction is conducted is also an important variable, and the reaction should be carried out at about atmospheric or slightly above atmospheric (2 to 3 atmospheres) pressure. In general, high pressures, i.e., above 250 p.s.i.g., are not suitable for the process since higher pressures tend to favor the formation of undesirable by-products.

The apparent contact time employed in the process is not especially critical, and contact times in the range of from 0.1 to about 50 seconds may be employed. The apparentcontact time may be defined as the length of time in seconds which a unit volume of gas measured under the conditions of reaction is in contact with the apparent unit volume of the catalyst. It may be calculated, for example, from the apparent Volume of the catalyst bed, the average temperature of the reactor, and the flow rates in the vessel of the components of the reaction mixture. The optimum contact time will, of course, vary depending upon the olefin being treated, but in general it may be said that a contact time of from 1 to l5 seconds is preferred.

In general, any apparatus of the type suitable for carrying out oxidation reactions in the vapor phase may be employed in the execution of this process. The process may be conducted either continuously or intermittently. The catalyst bed may be a fixed bed employing a pelleted catalyst or, in the alternative, a so-called fluidized bed of catalyst may be employed. The fiuidized bed offers definite advantages with regard to process control in that such a bed permits closer control of the temperature of the reaction as is well known to those skilled in the art.

The reactor may be brought to the reaction temperature before or after the introduction of the reaction feed mixture. However, on a large scale operation it is preferred to carry out the process in a continuous manner, and in such a system the recirculation of the unreacted olefin is contemplated. Periodic regeneration or reactivation of the catalyst is also contemplated, and this may be accomplished, for example, by contacting the catalyst with air at an elevated temperature.

The products of the reaction may be recovered by any of the methods known to those skilled in the art. One such method involves scrubbing the efiiuent gases from the reactor 'with cold water or an appropriate solvent to remove the products of the reaction. In such a case, the ultimate recovery of the products may be accomplished by conventional means. The efficiency of the scrubbing operation may be improved when Water is employed as the scrubbing agent by adding a suitable wetting agent to the water. Where molecular oxygen is employed as the oxidizing agent in this process, the resulting product mixture remaining after the removal of the nitriles may be treated to remove carbon dioxide with the remainder of the mixture 'containing the unreacted propylene and oxygen being recycled through the reactor. In the case where air is employed as the oxidizing agent in lieu of molecular oxygen, the residual product after separation of the nitriles and other carbonyl products may be scrubbed with a non-polar solvent, e.g., a hydrocarbon fraction, in order to recover unreacted propylene and in this case the remaining gases may be discarded. The addition of a suitable inhibitor to prevent polymerization of the unsaturated products during the recovery steps is also contemplated.

IV.-0xdatve delzydrogenatz'on of olefins to diolens The present invention also provides a process for the catalytic dehydrogenation of normal butylene, tertiary amylenes, and similar higher olefins having up to eight carbon atoms to the corersponding diolefins. In this process the feed stream in vapor form containing the olefins to be dehydrogenated and oxygen preferably is conducted over the catalyst at a comparatively low temperature between about 750 and 1000 F., to obtain the corresponding diolefin.

The reactants This process is capable of dehydrogenating normal butylenes to butadiene and tertiary amylenes to isoprene, but it can also be used to dehydrogenate normal amylenes to piperylene, and higher olefins, e.g., hexenes, heptenes, and octenes, to the corresponding more unsaturated products. The normal butylene can be butene-l or butene-2, either cis or trans, or a mixture of normal butylenes, such, for example, as can be separated from the products obtained in the cracking of petroleum oils or by the catalytic dehydrogenation of normal butane. The tertiary amylene can be any one or a mixture of the amylenes having one tertiary carbon atom. The feed stock can contain inert diluents such as any parafiinic or naphthenic hydrocarbon having up to about ten carbon atoms. Propylene and isobutylene should not be included in amounts exceeding a few percent.

The feed stock is preferably catalytically dehydrogenated in the presence of added steam, but this is not essential. Recommended proportions of steam are be tween about 0.1 to 2 moles per mole of reactant, but larger amounts can be used if desired.

Oxygen is also passed with the feed stock through the reaction zone. Recommended amounts are between about 0.3 and 2 moles per mole of olefin reactant. The stoichiometric quantity is 0.5 mole per mole of olefin. It is preferred to use a stoichiometric excess, e.g., about one mole per mole of olefin. The oxygen may be supplied as pure or substantially pure oxygen, or air, or in the form of hydrogen peroxide.

,v It is generally preferred to maintain the concentration of oxygen in the reactant mixture entering the reactor below about 12% although somewhat higher concentrations may be used if the concentration of the olefin reactant is at least about when operating at 30 p.s.i.g., at least 15% when operating at 100 p.s.i.g., and at least about when operating at 300 p.s.i.g. Thus when using pure oxygen, it is frequently desirable to dilute the mixture with an inert di" substantially inert diluent which may be steam, vapors of parain hydrocarbons, CO2, or the like. On the other hand, if the amount of oxygen is such that it would constitute more than about 12% of the reaction mixture the oxygen may be introduced in increments, e.g., by injecting part of the oxygen separately into the reaction zone.

Process conditions With the preferred catalyst the dehydrogenation becomes substantial at about 340 C. The preferred reaction temperatures are between about 400 and 550 C. Higher temperatures up to about 600 C. can be used, if means is provided to remove the exothermic heat of reaction. The temperatures mentioned are those near the reactor inlet. If a fixed bed of catalyst is used the temperature downstream will be as much as 75 C. higher.

The preferred pressure is near atmospheric, e.g., 5 to 75 p.s.i.a. On the other hand, higher pressures up to about 300 p.s.i.a. can be used, and have the advantage of simplifying the product recovery.

The process of the present invention allows a high space velocity, and thus, comparatively small reactors and catalyst can be used. For example, gaseous hourly space velocities up to about 5000 may be employed while still obtaining reasonable conversions. Gaseous hourly space velocity, abbreviated GHSV, is defined as the volumes of reactant vapor calculated under standard condition (STP) passes per hour per unit volume of the catalyst bed. Generally, space velocities between about 50 and 1000 are very satisfactory.

The contact of the feed vapors, oxygen and steam, if any, is preferably ecected by providing the catalyst in the `form of a fixed bed maintained at the reaction temperature, and passing the feed vapors through the bed. In this method of operation the partial pressure. of oxygen is high (maximum) at the inlet of the catalyst bed and declines towards the outlet. The concentration of diolefn product, on the other hand, is substantially zero at the inlet of the bed and maximum at the outlet. This allows very high selectivities to be achieved. It is also possible to use .the catalyst in powder form, but certain precautions should be taken. Thus, the powdered catalyst (eg, passing a 100 mesh U.S. standard sieve) can be dispersed in the reactant vapor mixtures and the dispersion passed through the reaction zone.

The gaseous mixture issuing from the reaction zone may be quenched -but this is normally not essential. Except in some cases when operating at the upper limit of the recommended temperatures there is little tendency for side reactions to take place. The effluent is preferably eooled by indirect heat exchange with the. feed and then washed with dilute caustic to neutralize the organic acids present and condense and remove the steam. lf ai'r is used to supply the oxygen the remaining mixture is preferably compressed and scrubbed with oil to separate the hydrocarbons from the nitrogen, carbon dioxide, and carbon monoxide. The hydrocarbon may be stripped from the oil and subjected to an extractive distillation or .a copper ammonium acetate treatment in the known manner to separate and recover the diolen.

The following examples, in the opinion of the inventors, represent preferred embodiments of their invention: i

' Example I A bismuth silico-phosphomolybdate catalyst base was prepared -by the following procedure:

74 g. of an 85% phosphoric acid was added to 8330 g.

of an aqueous silica sol containing 30% silica. Next, 2800 g. of bismuth nitrate was dissolved in a solution made by diluting 160 ml. of 70% nitric acid to 1540* ml. with distilled water. The bismuth nitrate solution was then -added to the silica sol. Next, 1360 g. of ammonium molybdate was dissolved in 1540 ml. of distilled water, and this solution added to the silica sol. The resulting catalyst slurry was dried in an oven at 200 F. for 24 hours and then calcined in a furnace at 800 F. for 24 hours. After cooling, the catalyst was ground into particles, and screened through a 10 mesh screen. A portion of the 8-10 mesh material was then made into tablets, while the remainder was retained for use as a control, designated hereinafter as Control A.

The` final catalyst composition correspondedto the empirical formula Bi9PMo12O52-(Si02)65, having the :following composition:

Element: Weight, percent Bismuth 24.2 Phosphorus 0.4 Molybdenum 14.8 Silicon 23.4 Oxygen 37.2

This tabletted catalyst was then impregnated with promoters in accordance with the, invention, by the following procedure:

81.8 g. of boric acid was dissolved in hot water and diluted up to 420 ml. This hot solution was used to impregnato 400 g. of the tabletted catalyst prepared as describe-d above, dipping tablets of the catalyst contained in a wire basket in the boric acid solution for 4 minutes, then removing and draining them for 4 minutes. By this procedure, 120 m1. of the boric acid solution was absorbed by the catalyst, equivalent to 23 g. II3B03- The Wet catalyst was dried overnight, and a portion was set aside, for use later as Control C.

The remainder of the boric-aoid impregnated catalyst was mixed well with a solution prepared by dissolving 47 g. of bismuth nitrate Bi(NO3)35H2O in 40 cc. of concentrated nitric acid, specific gravity 1.42, diluting to 120 cc. with water. Another portion of the base catalyst (Control A), not previously impregnated with boric `acid solution, was then impregnated with bismuth nitrate solution in the same way. This was marked Control B. Again, the catalyst was dried at 120 C. overnight.

Controls B and C and the twice impregnated catalyst of the invention then were calcined in air for 14 to 16 hours at 800 F. Finally, the three calcined catalysts Were ground and screened, to obtain a size fraction in the 8 to 10 mesh range.

Thus, Con-trol B contained 5% added bismuth, Control C 1% boron, Control A neither, and the catalyst of the invention, 5% added bismuth and 1% added boron together.

The promoted catalyst yand the control catalysts A, B, and C without promoters and with only one promoter were employed in a series of experiments, to determine catalytic eifectiveness, using a iixed bed reactor, in the oxidative conversion of propylene and ammonia to acrylonitrile. A ml. catalyst charge was used in each run. Gases were 'metered by rotameter, and water was fed by a Sigma motor pump. The feed ratios were held constant at and the contact time was held constant at 5 seconds. The rreaction temperature was varied from 860 to 950 F. in the series of runs carried out. The percent conversion to acrylonitrile versus reaction temperature for each catalyst is shown in FIGURE 1. At the optimum temperature range of 865 to *875 F. 92.6% of the propylene feed was converted, 73.2% being converted to acrylonitrile, 8.4% to acetonitrile, and the remainder to a mix- `onds, and the pressure was atmospheric.

1 1 ture of carbon dioxide and hydrogen cyanide. ful yield was 89.6%.

In contrast, Control A, the base catalyst without promoters, at the optimum temperature of S60-870 F., gave a total conversion of 93.2%, of which 63.4% was acrylonitrile, 13% acetonitrile and the remainder, carbon dioxide and hydrogen cyanide. The useful yield was 78.6%. The Bi-promoted Control B at the optimum temperature of 860 F. gave a total conversion of 85.6%, of which 58.7% was acrylonitrile, 9.1% acetonitrile, and the remainder carbon dioxide and hyrogen cyanide. The useful yield was 70.9%. The B-promoted Control C at the optimum tempearture of 880 F. gave a 44.1% total conversion, of which 37.4% was acrylonitrile, 3% acetonitrile, 1.7% acrolein, and the remainder', carbon dioxide and hydrogen cyanide.

Thus, boron alone acts as a poison, not as a promoter, bismuth alone also has a definite depressing effect on maximum yield, while the two together materially enhance the catalytic effect, as compared to the base catalyst.

The bismuth and boron promoted catalyst was ernployed in uidized form for the conversion of propylene and ammonia to acrylonitrile. The base catalyst was used as Control A. Contact time in all runs was 7.6 sec- The other process conditions and the, data obtained appear in Table I below.

The use- The catalysts were used in the conversion of propylene and ammonia to acrylonitrile, using the reactor and reaction conditions of Example I. The results obtained appear in FIGURE 2, graphing the percent conversion of propylene to acrylonitrile against temperature.

The catalyst of the invention at the optimum temperature of S-860 F. gave a total conversion of 94.1% of which 72.9% was acrylonitrile, 12.7% acetonitrile, and the remainder carbon dioxide and hydrogen cyanide. The total useful yield was 94.9%. This is to be lcompared to the base catalyst, a 63.4% conversion to acrylonitrile, 13.0% conversion to acetonitrile, and the remainder carbon dioxide and hydrogen cyanide, giving a total conversion of 93.2% and a useful conversion of 78.6%. Again, Control B was poisoned by the 0.5% boron, and Control C was as in Example I.

Example III Example I was repeated, using the same base catalyst, and the same bismuth nitrate and boric acid impregnating solutions and procedure. However, the amount of bismuth nitrate was reduced by 2/5, thereby reducing the total bismuth on the catalyst to 3%, and ammonium permanganate added to the bismuth'nitrate solution in an amount to furnish 1% manganese on the catalyst, calculated as manganese from Mn2O3.

Percent Conversion-Carbon Basis Temp. C3=/Air/NH3IH2O mole ratio F. l

Acrylo- Aceto- HON CO C O2 Useful Total Select Yield ntrile nitrile Control A:

1/10/1/1 850 46. 5 3.8 6.3 4. 2 8.2 50. 3 69.0 92. 5 72. 9 1/10/1 900 55. 5 3. 8 4. 8 3. 4 9. 3 59. 3 76.8 93. 6 77. 2 1/10/1/1. 900 48.0 2. 5 4. 8 4. 3 9. 3 50. 5 68. 9 95.0 73. 4 1/10/1/1.. 850 47.5 4.5 5.2 4.1 7.0 52. 0 68.3 91. 4 76.3 1/10/1/1. 900 57. 8 4. 4 4. 4 4.8 13. 2 62. 2 84.6 93. 0 73. 5 1/10/1/1. 900 59. 2 4.0 4. 8 4. 4 12. 4 63. 2 84. 8 93. 5 74.6 1/10/1/1. 925 60. 8 3. 5 4.1 4. 5 14. 5 64.3 87. 4 94. 5 73. 7 1/10/1/1 875 54. 5 4. 7 5. 2 4. 6 11. 1 59. 2 80. 1 92. l 73. 9 Promoted catalyst:

It is apparent from the data that the promoted catalyst is quite superior to the base catalyst, although the difference is not as marked as when a xed bed is used.

The bismuth and boron promoted catalyst was next employed in fixed-bed form for the conversion of propylene to acrolen. During the reaction the reactor was maintained at a temperature of 825 F. at atmospheric pres-l sure. The contact time with the catalyst was approximately one second. The feed molar ratios were air/ Hgo/propylene/nitrogen 5 6/ 1/ 32. Approximately 58% of the propylene feed was converted to acrolein and about 29% of the propylene was reacted material could be recycled. The remainder of the product consisted of carbon oxides, minor amounts of low molecular weight carbonylic compounds, and organic acids.

Example Il The bismuth silicophosphomolybdate catalyst of Example I was employed to prepare another series of promoted catalyst corresponding to those of Example I but with a lesser amount of boron. Control A, as before, was the base catalyst. Control C was prepared in the same way, but using a boric acid solution containing only 40.9 g of boric acid, half the previous concentration, thus giving a catalyst containing only 0.15% added boron, instead of 1%. Control B was identical to Example I, and the catalyst of the invention contained 0.5% added boron and 5% added bismuth, as the oxides.

unreacted. This unp This catalyst was used to convert propylene and ammonia to acrylonitrile, using the apparatus and reaction conditions of Example I, in comparison with the base catalyst as a control. The results are graphed in FIG- URE 3 as the percent conversion to acrylonitrile versus temperature.

The data show that at the optimum temperature of S50-870 F., the total conversion using the catalyst of the invention is 91.2%, of which 68% is acrylonitrile, 9.1% acetonitrile, and the remainder carbon dioxide and hydrogen cyanide. The total useful yield is 85.3%. In this case, the improvement over the base catalyst is not so great as when bismuth alone is used, but since manganese is much less costly than bismuth, the reduction can be more than outweighed by the economics in commercial use.

Example IV A group of catalysts were prepared, promoted by the addition of 0.5% boron, in accordance with Example II, and using the base catalyst of Example I, with the amount of bismuth added varying from 0% to 10%, the procedure of Example I being used, with the content of bismuth nitrate in the solution being varied proportionately. The purpose was to elucidate the proportions of bismuth at which the enhanced catalytic effect is observed.

The catalysts were used to convert propylene and amrnonia to acrylonitrile using the apparatus and reaction conditions of Example I, and a reaction temperature of S60-870 F., the optimum range. The results obtained are given in FIGURE 4, graphing the percent conversion to acrylonitrile against the percent bismuth on the base catalyst, the percent boron being constant at 0.5%.

The data show that the best enhanced catalytic effect is observed at from about 5 to about 10% bismuth oxide, calculated as bismuth.

Example V Example I was repeated, to prepare a group of catalysts promoted by 5% bismuth oxide, calculated as bismuth, With the amount of boron being varied from to 5% by varying proportionately the amount of boric acid in the treating solution. The base catalyst of Example I was employed for the impregnation. The purpose was to elucidate the proportions of boron at which the catalytic elfect is observed at this amount of bismuth.

The catalysts were used to convert propylene and ammonia to acrylonitrile, using the apparatus of Example I, and a reaction temperature of S60-870 F. the optimum range. The results obtained are graphed in FIGURE I as percent acrylonitrile against percent boron oxide, calcula-ted as boron.

The data show that the enhanced catalytic eect is observed at amounts of boron up to about Example IV A bismuth silicomolybdate catalyst was prepared following the procedure given in Example I, except that no phosphoric acid was added to the base catalyst slurry. This catalyst was then impregnated with bismuth nitrate and boric acid solution, as described in Example I, and the resulting catalyst used in the oxidation of propylene as in Example I, in comparison with the base catalyst. The promoted catalyst gave an increase of approximately in the conversion of propylene to acrylonitrile, as compared to the base catalyst.

Each of the above examples utilizes the boron and bismuth-promoted catalyst of the invention in comparison agaisnt the base catalyst in the oxidation of olens to oxygenated hydrocarbons, e.g., propylene to acrylonitrile. It will be understood that the promotional effect is also evidenced in the oxidative dehydrogenation of olens to diolefins, such as butene to butadiene, and amylenes to isoprene, as described in U.S. Patent No. 2,991,320 to Hearne and Furman, patented July 4, 1961.

Example VII Butene-l Was dehydrogenated to butadiene using the bismuth and boron promoted catalyst of Example I in a ixed bed reactor. The butene-1 feed was mixed with air and Water in the molar ratio butene/air/water 1/8/4 and preheated to 850 F. The temperature in the reactor was held at 850-860 F. The residence time in contact with the catalyst was six seconds. 300 ml. of catalyst was used. The per pass conversion to 1,3-butadiene was 75%, together with about 6% oxygenated products, the balance being carbon oxides.

Example VIII Trans-butene-2 was dehydrogenated to butadiene using the bismuth and boron promoted catalyst of Example I in admixture with air and steam. The reactor temperature was held at S35-845 F. and the molar ratios butene/air/water at l/8/4. The residence time in contact with the 300 ml. of catalyst was four seconds. A per pass conversion to 1,3-butadiene of 76% was obtained, the balance of the product being carbonyl compounds and carbon oxides.

All percentages in the specification and claims are by weight, in the case of the catalyst composition, and by volume in the case of gases.

We claim:

1. A catalyst composition consisting essentially of oxides of bismuth and molybdenum as the essential catalytic ingredients, the bismuth oxide being present in an amount to furnish a bismuth to molybdenum Bi:Mo atomic ratio of above 1:3, promoted by a mixture of oxides of boron and bismuth, in the proportion of about 0.5 lto about 1%, calculated :as boron, and about 5 to about 10%, calculated as bismuth.

2. A catalyst composition in accordance with claim 1, which also includes phosphorus in an amount up to about 5% by weight.

3. A catalyst composition in accordance with claim 1, which includes manganese oxide as a promoter in an amount up to one third the weight of the bismuth oxide promoter.

4. A catalyst composition consisting essentially of oxides of bismuth and molybdenum as the essential catalytic ingredients and also including silica, the bismuth oxide being present in an amount to furnish a bismuth to molybdenum Bi:Mo atomic ratio of above 1:3, and the silica being present in an amount from about 25 to about 75% by weight of the catalyst; promoted by a mixture of oxides of boron and bismuth, in the proportion of about 0.5 to about 1%, calculated as boron, and about 5 to about 10%, calculated as bismuth.

5. A catalyst composition in accordance with claim 4, which also includes phosphorus in an amount up to about 5% by weight.

6. A catalyst composition consisting essentially of oxides of bismuth and molybdenum as the essential catalytic ingredients and also including boric oxide and supplementary bismuth oxide as promoters, the catalyst having a composition corresponding to the empirical chemical formula:

-93% BiaPbM012Oc5.5-ll.5% Bi2O3-1.5-3.5% B203 where a is a number within the range from about 4 to 36, b is a number within the range from 0 to 2, and c is 1/2 n-a-l-l/z mJy-lJ/z p12, wherein n, m and p are the average valences of bismuth, phosphorus and molybdenum, respectively, in the catalyst, the Bi:Mo atomic ratio being above 1:3.

7. A catalyst composition consisting essentially of oxides of bismuth and molybdenum as the essential catalytic ingredients and also lincluding boric oxide and supplementary bismuth oxide as promoters, the catalyst having a composition corresponding to the empirical chemical formula:

23S-.93% (BiaPbMolgOc' (Si02)1 600) 'S5-11.5%

Bi203'l.5-3.5% B203 wherein a is a number within the range from about 4 to 36, b is a number within the range from 0 to 2, and c is 1/2nw|1/2mb}1/2p12, wherein n, m and p are the average valences of bismuth, phosphorus and molybdenum, respectively, in the catalyst, the Bi:Mo atomic ratio being above 1:3.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,440,471 4/ 1948 Guyer 260--680 2,442,319 5/1948 Britton et al 260-680 2,451,040 10/ 1948 Murphree 260-680 2,481,826 9/1949 Cosby 26o-465.3 2,606,877 8/1952 West 252-432 2,621,204 12/ 1952 Maclean et al 260-465 .3

(Other references on following page) 

1. A CATALYST COMPOSITION CONSISTING ESSENTIALLY OF OXIDES OF BISMUTH AND MOLYBDENUM AS THE ESSENTIAL CATALYTIC INGREDIENTS, THE BISMUTH OXIDE BEING PRESENT IN AN AMOUNT TO FURNISH A BISMUTH TO MOLYBDENUM BI:MO ATOMIC RATIO OF ABOVE 1:3, PROMOTED BY A MIXTURE OF 